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Let the Smear Job begin

This past week at Citi Field, R.A. Dickey broke character — as one of Santa’s elves, at a Mets holiday party centered around young victims of Hurricane Sandy — to show his true character. All about himself once again, Dickey issued the laughable threat that, if the Mets didn’t extend his contract, he’d bolt the organization after 2013.
The Mets are prepared to call the knuckleballer’s bluff with flair. As of last night, the club was engaged in serious trade discussions that would send the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner to Toronto for stud catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud and perhaps other, lesser players.
Forget about Dickey, who is not expected to sign an extension with Toronto, bolting Flushing for the 2014 campaign. Now he’ll be gone a year earlier than he predicted, for the top prospect in Toronto’s rich farm system, a guy the Mets can control through 2018.
The Mets are poised to pull this off even though Dickey’s unwieldy personality, the same personality that fueled his remarkable climb to greatness, mitigated the Mets’ options. Dickey’s remarks Tuesday underlined how risky it would be to employ Dickey as a one-year, $5-million, extension-less player in 2013.
This transaction marks a brave new path for the Mets, one in which sound baseball operations trumps sentiment. This in the same week when the Yankees are giving 39-year-old Ichiro Suzuki, who clocked 10 mediocre weeks and two phenomenal ones in The Bronx, a two-year extension seemingly because fans adored his inability to hit home runs.
Dickey’s request for two years and $26 million, beyond the $5 million due to him next season, was eminently reasonable. Yet that doesn’t mean that the Mets needed to concede. He is 38, and while the data on knuckleballers’ aging bodes well for the right-hander, it’s not a huge sample by which to go. There’s reasonable doubt that Dickey can replicate his outstanding 2012 campaign.
And, in an underappreciated part of this saga that soared into visibility this week, Dickey can be a handful. He clearly has enjoyed his rise from the ashes into a Flushing folk hero, and while he deserves praise and riches, there’s also the matter of him having to coexist peacefully in a workplace. His gift for self-promotion and his love of attention don’t endear himself to most teammates. Instead, his durability and outstanding results led him to be appreciated but far from beloved.
If Dickey can’t control his verbiage at a holiday party — “Folks, not today, not with the kids here” was all he had to say to reporters — then how would a full season of uncertainty feel? How many times would Dickey spout off publicly? Or work behind the scenes to make the Mets look bad and boost his own brand?
That’s why Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has been saying all along that he wasn’t enthralled by the notion of keeping Dickey for the one year. And it’s why there’s something to be said for selling high on Dickey. If he puts up another Cy Young campaign for Toronto in 2013 and d’Arnaud flops for the Mets, then we’ll rightly rip the Mets. But this is a sound process, and d’Arnaud, a potential All-Star at a position in which the supply has never appeared weaker, is the sort of high-impact player Alderson said he would need to get to let go of the ultra-popular Dickey.
Dickey’s love of his narrative, the embracing of his professional challenge, helped him defy the odds. Now it’s time for the Mets to let the Blue Jays, armed for a 2013 pennant run, roll the dice on him and build a Dickey-free future in Flushing.

I hate this crap - Dickey was more than a stand up guy and was not unreasonable. Just because he wasn't going to the press saying "I love New York and am ready to resign! I just hope the team can get as much as they can for me in a trade!" doesn't mean you have to go out there and bash the guy last second before trading him.

And, in an under appreciated part of this saga that soared into visibility this week, Dickey can be a handful. He clearly has enjoyed his rise from the ashes into a Flushing folk hero, and while he deserves praise and riches, there’s also the matter of him having to coexist peacefully in a workplace. His gift for self-promotion and his love of attention don’t endear himself to most teammates. Instead, his durability and outstanding results led him to be appreciated but far from beloved.If Dickey can’t control his verbiage at a holiday party — “Folks, not today, not with the kids here” was all he had to say to reporters — then how would a full season of uncertainty feel? How many times would Dickey spout off publicly? Or work behind the scenes to make the Mets look bad and boost his own brand?

Is he kidding? I swear, you have to wonder if maybe this idiot isn't auditioning for a job writing for The Onion. He's concerned whether Dickey, arguably the best presence in the Met clubhouse, can coexist peacefully in the workplace? Really?

Dickey has a gift for self promotion? No one ever heard of this guy for the first 12 years of his career but somehow he's got a gift for self promotion? Gee, I wonder if he'd say the same thing about Cy Young. "Sure, he's pitched great but come on! Did he really have to arrange it so they named an award after him? How much more self centered can you get?"

This is beyond moronic. Can't control his verbiage at a holiday party because he had the audacity to be candid when answering a reporter's questions?

RA Dickey has done nothing wrong and said nothing wrong and somehow, this schmuck wants to turn the team's best pitcher, the unlikeliest of all Cy Young award winners, into a villain. My question is whether this was just another bored writer waxing poetic to get some attention or whether someone from the Mets had his ear.

I can only imagine the reaction if someone says something really bad about him.

These things are always so one sided.

If Dickey says the Mets are playing hardball in negotiations he is "looking out for his family's future."

The Mets say the same thing and they are "greedy and insulting to Dickey."

We all like to watch Dickey play. We don't watch Alderson "general manage" or the Wilnotpons "own" so there is an overwhelming inclination to side with the players and give him the benefit of almost every doubt so long as he seems like a nice guy.

No one on these boards has any idea if Dickey loves all the attention he received and if it alienated other players in the clubhouse. He seems like a nice guy, but who here really knows.

If I was asked at a party about financial negotiations, I would side step the question but he chose to handle it another way. His choice, didn't bother me one way or another. It was blown way out of proportion.

I can only imagine the reaction if someone says something really bad about him.

These things are always so one sided.

If Dickey says the Mets are playing hardball in negotiations he is "looking out for his family's future."

The Mets say the same thing and they are "greedy and insulting to Dickey."

We all like to watch Dickey play. We don't watch Alderson "general manage" or the Wilnotpons "own" so there is an overwhelming inclination to side with the players and give him the benefit of almost every doubt so long as he seems like a nice guy.

No one on these boards have any idea if Dickey loves all the attention he got and if it alienated other players in the clubhouse. He seems like a nice guy, but who here really knows.

If I was asked at a party about financial negotiations, I would side step the question but he chose to handle it another way. His choice, didn't bother me one way or another. It was blown way out of proportion.

Frankly, his image is blown way out of proportion. In my opinion.

He deserved none of those comments. Upon joining the Mets in May 2010, there have been zero reports implying that Dickey:

can be a handful

would have difficulties existing peacefully in the workplace

Has a gift for Self promotion

Has a love of attention that doesnt endear himself to most teammates

Can't control his verbiage

(Might) work behind the scenes to make the Mets look bad and boost his own brand

You're right when you say "No one on these boards have any idea if Dickey loves all the attention he got and if it alienated other players in the clubhouse. He seems like a nice guy, but who here really knows." But come on jomota, don't you find it the least bit odd that there were zero reports about any of these concerns until this recent contract negotiation? Don't you find the timing to be a bit more than a coincidence?

He deserved none of those comments. Upon joining the Mets in May 2010, there have been zero reports implying that Dickey:

can be a handful

would have difficulties existing peacefully in the workplace

Has a gift for Self promotion

Has a love of attention that doesnt endear himself to most teammates

Can't control his verbiage

(Might) work behind the scenes to make the Mets look bad and boost his own brand

You're right when you say "No one on these boards have any idea if Dickey loves all the attention he got and if it alienated other players in the clubhouse. He seems like a nice guy, but who here really knows." But come on jomota, don't you find it the least bit odd that there were zero reports about any of these concerns until this recent contract negotiation? Don't you find the timing to be a bit more than a coincidence?

Just wondering.

I find it a non-issue.

And as I said, none of us know how he is seen on the team. You can assume that the writer of the article knows what he is talking about or not. I have no idea and it doesn't change my opinion of Dickey one way or the other. I just don't see it as a "smear" or all that much of a big deal.

And as I said, none of us know how he is seen on the team. You can assume that the writer of the article knows what he is talking about or not. I have no idea and it doesn't change my opinion of Dickey one way or the other. I just don't see it as a "smear" or all that much of a big deal.

Well, I just find it odd, if not appalling, that we're now hearing things about Dickey's character that we hadn't heard since he joined the team.

And yeah, maybe I am a little oversensitive. But if I am, that's only because it kills me to see Dickey's name dragged through the mud after we've had to endure so many crap players over the years both in terms of talent and character.

I'm sure Dickey isn't perfect. He's entitled to be a human. But geez, at least let him do something wrong before criticizing him.

Well, I just find it odd, if not appalling, that we're now hearing things about Dickey's character that we hadn't heard since he joined the team.

And yeah, maybe I am a little oversensitive. But if I am, that's only because it kills me to see Dickey's name dragged through the mud after we've had to endure so many crap players over the years both in terms of talent and character.

I'm sure Dickey isn't perfect. He's entitled to be a human. But geez, at least let him do something wrong before criticizing him.

"Dragged through the mud?" That's a bit of s stretch here FOC.

The most I got out if that article was that in a room full of 25 guys with towels wrapped around them, someone might not have liked the attention Dickey was getting. All those guys with microphones standing around asking how "you would approach Dickey's knuckleball." Probably some petty jealousy at play.

Put me in a room of 25 people and one or two might not like me either. (Hard to believe, I know.)

Sadly Dickey was too celebral for the Mets. I would love to keep him and I have no problems with his comments. If the Wilpons had run the business correct, we would be keeping Dickey and adding some bats for a championship run. Sadly we throw away Wagner, Reyes,made some hasty moves, got into a financial malestrom, and then tie the front office hands.

If Dickey brings us some players to build us back up. Then lets do it and say Dickey is in a pennant race and good luck. Lets leave the smear behind, he deserves better and so do we!

I don't blame Dickey for being upset. The heck with the Wilpons. They are scum.

None of the above has anything to do with the Wilpons.

Also, according to Andy Martino this AM on WFAN, the issues described in this article are totally overblown. This is typical media crap meant to sell newspapers, and gullible fans continue to lick their boots like starving dogs.

“The Wilpons and Mr. Saul Katz — the people who say they don’t care about the team are sorely misguided,” Ojeda told the newspaper. “These are the biggest Mets fans you will meet."